Apparatus for feeding and distributing molten material in blast-furnaces.



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ENVENTOR P T S I U Q D N I L W E APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING MOLTEN MATERIAL IN BLAST FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1904:

HTNESSES No. 789,160 I PATEN'I'ED MAY 9, 1905. E. W. LINDQUIST. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING MOLTEN MATERIAL IN BLAST FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20 1904.

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E W Q0 H IIi-l H 7 1 SQ w WITNESS ES UNTTED STATES Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT CEETQE.

EDTVARD TV. LINDQUIST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RALPH BAGGALEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING MOLTEN MATERIAL IN BLAST-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,160, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed May 20, 1904. Serial No. 208,959-

To (.tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. LIND- QUIST, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Feeding and Distributing Molten Material in Blast-Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a cross-section on the line I I of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of one end of the apparatus and illustrates the method of tilting the vessel and one of the water-circulation pipes.

My invention has been designed primarily for the practice of the invention disclosed in an application, Serial No. 109,027, filed by Ralph Baggaley and C. M. Allen on March 19, 1904, for a method of smelting ores and cleaning converter-slags; and it constitutes one of a series of inventions for the manufacture of blistercopper, one of which inventions for an apparatus for distributing molten slag in a blast-furnace was filed by Ralph Baggaley and C. M. Allen on March 31, 1904, Serial No. 200,866.

My present invention relates to a number of important features not disclosed in the application above referred to.

I use in my present apparatus a sin le centrally-located receptacle for the distrlbution of the molten material. I locate it just sufficiently above the level of the charging-floor so that the feeding of ores will not be obstructed and the draft of the furnace will not be inter fered with.

I am enabled to use my apparatus in a furnace with an ordinary hood and stack, whereas in the apparatus described in the application above referred to the top of the hood is entirely occupied by the slag-distributing troughs and in lieu of a stack a downtake must be provided at a lower level than the distributing-troughs.

In the drawings, 2 is a trough-shape vessel flaring from the bottom to the top, which is used to receive the molten material and distribute it evenly in the furnace. Ithas end discharge into the crucible any skull that may be left after pouring out the molten contents. The power for tilting the vessel is supplied by means of a worm-gear 9 or other equivalent device. 10 is a spout through which the molten slag or matte to be distributod is introduced into the vessel 2 from a ladle 11.

My invention is intended to supply to a smelting furnace copper converter slag which usually contains mineral Values. As the distributing vessel extends over the entire length of the furnace-crucible I can by tilting it distribute the slag evenly along the entire inner wall of either side of the furnace. In smelter practice as conducted prior to the inventions above cited converter-slag was allowed to cool and congeal and was then broken up into pieces of suitable size at a great expense and was fed cold to the smelter in about the same manner in which ores are fed. Such congealed slag demands proportionate consumption of carbonaceous fuel to reheat and remelt it, while in the method which is practiced with great economy by use of my apparatus all this labor, fuel, time, and expense are saved by delivering the converter-slag directly into the furnace in a hot molten condition, in which it not only requires no fuel to melt it, but contributes its own high heat to the contents of the furnace-crucible. I thus reduce materially the cost of smelting. An additional advantage of this method of feeding molten converter-slag to a blast-furnace is that such slag is always intensely basic, and as a rule is composed principally of iron. Hence the scaffolds or chilled masses of highly silicious ores, &c., which are an unpleasant and expensive feature of present blast-furnace practice, are readily heated, dissolved, and dropped into the crucible when this intensely hot and corrosive basic slag is poured in molten form upon that portion of the scaffold that is wedged firmly against the interior side walls. By inverting the vessel any skull that may be left in it after a molten charge of slag has been poured will be readily discharged into the crucible of the furnace. The vessel is so placed within the furnace-hood and at or near the level of the charging-openings 12 that it can be readily seen and its opera tion noted by the furnaceman. Its location within the hood is such that the cold air entering the doors from each side of the furnace will necessarily impinge directly upon the supporting-cradle, as well as upon the vessel itself, and will protect the mechanism to an important extent. The locating of this apparatus at this point in the furnace-hood not only permits the operator to observe it at all times, but also permits the pouring of the molten slag into the furnace at the lowest level possible; The entire apparatus is thus placed as near to the top of the jackets as is consistent with maintaining the room required for charging the furnace on each side. 1t permits the use of the entire upper part of the furnace for stack-room, yet it does not permit the escape of any of the furnace-gases other than through the hood or through the stack even when the vessel is revolved. The escape of gases into the furnace-building has been an unpleasant feature of the apparatus above referred to. The vessel is purposely constructed of even thickness in cross-section throughout its length, so that the vary-.

ing temperature incident to its use will affect it uniformly and will not injure it. Its shape is such that the molten slag cannot form a bond within it calculated to obstruct the discharge of its molten contents or of the resultant skull. All parts of the mechanism are well protected from contact with the molten slag. The inlet and the outlet of the watercirculation system are especially designed to maintain the moving surfaces of the trunnions that sustain the weight of the cradle and pouring vessel at as low a temperature as possible. The movement of the trunnions in these bearings is of course insignificant; but they must be protected against the constantly-increasing heat and the gases of the furnace, so that the lubrication will not be destroyed and friction and cutting produced.

While in use the long trough-shape slag vessel is very liable to become red-hot through the entrance of the hot molten slag, and as the ability af cast-iron to sustain weight is greatly reduced when it is' heated, especially when it is red-hot, it is apparent that the vessel when heated by the molten slag would soon become unable to sustain the heavy burden unless provision be made for this purpose. Therefore to guard against accidents I have suspended it by the flanges 2 through out its entire length on strong wrought-metal beams, and I protect the beams-against undue heating by water-pipes on each side, through which a continuous circulation of the cooling medium is maintained.

Doubtless many modifications of my invention will naturally suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, since What I claim is 1. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blast-furnace, comprising a vessel extending along the furnace-crucible below the top of the hood; substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blast-furnace, comprising a tilting vessel supported in bearings on the furnace structure, and a metal cradle for supporting it; substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blastfurnace, comprising a tilting vessel supported in bearings on the furnace structure, a metal cradle for supporting it, and water-passages for coolin the frame and trunnions of the vessel; su stantially as described.

4:. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blast-furnace, comprising a tilting vessel supported in hearings on the furnace structure, a metal cradle for supporting it, and mechanism for tilting the vessel; substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blast-furnace, comprising a vessel extended along the furnace-crucible below the top of the hood, and a spout in the furnacewall discharging into the vessel; substantially as described.

6. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blast-furnace, comprising a vessel ex-v tending through the furnace supported by a metal cradle having trunnions, means for revolving the same, means for maintaining a circulation of cooling medium through the trunnions and along the frame, and a spout leading from the outside of the furnace to the vessel adapted to conduct the molten material thereinto from the outside of the furnace; substantially as described.

7. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blast-furnace, comprising a vessel extending along the furnace, supported by a metal cradle carried on cast-metal trunnions, means for revolving itin either direction and for completely inverting it when necessary; substantially as described.

8. Apparatus for feeding molten material in a blast-furnace, comprisinga tilting vessel supported in the furnace at the level of the charging-doors; substantially as described.

9. Apparatus for feeding molten material charging-doors, and means for Water-cooling in a blast-furnace, comprising a tilting vessel it; substantially as described. IO supported in the furnace at the level of the In testimony whereof I have hereunto set charging-doors and exposed to the air-draft my hand.

therefrom; substantially as described. EDWARD W. LINDQUIST.

10. Apparatus for feeding molten material Witnesses: in a blast-furnace, comprising a tilting vessel THOMAS W. BAKEWELL,

supported in the furnace at the level of the GEO. B. BLEMING. 

